Thursday 26th February 2015

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 12:36 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:Out of interest, and thinking about that devolved NHS funding to Greater Manchester I took a look at education and if were possibel to do the same.

Gt. Manch has 141 academies - 79 sponsored and 62 converters.

The 79 belong to 38 different sponsors so adding in the converters, there are, besides the 10 LAs, 100 different bodies running schools - those 100 are answerable directly to the DfE. And that doesn't include the Diocesan schools which haven't converted to academy status.

So what happens when Greater Manchester says "Right. We've got health...now for education"?
What was that old film where some London borough declared independence?

Passport to Pimlico.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 12:40 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:Out of interest, and thinking about that devolved NHS funding to Greater Manchester I took a look at education and if were possibel to do the same.

Gt. Manch has 141 academies - 79 sponsored and 62 converters.

The 79 belong to 38 different sponsors so adding in the converters, there are, besides the 10 LAs, 100 different bodies running schools - those 100 are answerable directly to the DfE. And that doesn't include the Diocesan schools which haven't converted to academy status.

So what happens when Greater Manchester says "Right. We've got health...now for education"?
What was that old film where some London borough declared independence?
Passport to Pimlico.

Get ready for its sequel - Passport to Manchester.
I'm not liking any of this :(So ill thought out, just hope there will be enough left to recovered in May....

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 12:43 pm

StephenDolan wrote:David Schneider on form.

http://huff.to/1A2R8bc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh, thank you!

New browser, opened your link in a new tab while I continue to read this page. What's that sound? I wonder. Realised every video that can be opened & played will.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 12:49 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... sense-news" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The BBC reports bewildering events but it fails to help us understand them
Steve Richards

Forty years ago this week John Birt, who later became a director general of the BBC, published a seminal article on what he called the broadcasters’ bias against understanding. The article is as relevant now as it was then.

In February 1975 Birt argued that broadcasters were not biased against a particular party but were biased against explaining what was happening. Then Britain was in economic turmoil, and about to hold a referendum on whether to stay in the European Union. A fragile government with the tiniest majorities clung to power. The mainstream Westminster parties and their leaders were viewed with widespread disdain.

But Birt noted in his article that in television current affairs there was no appetite to explain and analyse. Instead, TV reported one damned event after another, as one historian wrongly described the writing of history. No connections were made or context explored; pictures drove the story, the so-called human interest story topped others, the vox pop was hailed as giving space to real people and panels of public figures or pundits were put together to provoke wholly predictable clashes.

plus ca change

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 12:51 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
HindleA wrote:https://speye.wordpress.com/2015/02/26/ ... droom-tax/

The Tory plan to hit 515,000 social housing pensioners with the bedroom tax
They are despicable. There aren't enough one bedroom places available for the people already affected by the bedroom tax to downsize to .... so this is just designed to milk the money from those pensioners who find themselves affected. They won't be able to downsize ... and how the hell are they meant to increase their income to cover the deductions?

And, of course, exactly the same problems faced by those already affected by the tax. I'm proud to say that here in Burywe've not evicted a single tenant because of it, and help has been give to about 400 of those affected out of 800 hit by this iniquitous measure.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 12:51 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote: What was that old film where some London borough declared independence?
Passport to Pimlico.
Get ready for its sequel - Passport to Manchester.
I'm not liking any of this :(So ill thought out, just hope there will be enough left to recovered in May....

There isn't much the government can actually *do* here in two months, surely?

I would have thought it is more about presenting any incoming non-Tory government with a fait accompli.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 12:55 pm

BBC Free Speech ‏@BBCFreeSpeech 1h1 hour ago
#FSreads UKIP #LGBT group chair quits: "I couldn't defend the party anymore". via @pinknews http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/02/26/uk ... -any-more/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Just amazed UKIP actually has a LGBT group ... and that it took this person so long to reach this conclusion.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 12:59 pm

PorFavor wrote:What the hell is a "clipped weighted moving average" (as mentioned by someone elsewhere in a "fanzine" earlier today)?

Cheating.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:06 pm

giselle97 wrote:
2015-02-26_104938.jpg
http://labourlist.org/2015/02/devolving ... s-burnham/

They'll run out of money. Want to start charging. Health insurance companies will step in. Job done. Kerching!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:11 pm

Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Labour Party, in a speech at the EEF National Manufacturing Conference in London, said:

[text of speech ending with the following below]

"...in 70 days’ time, the election will be upon us.

I understand that while some of us are in the thick of this campaign, some of you watch and wait.

I want to give you this pledge:

If I am Prime Minister after May 7th, I will champion your cause.

I believe we owe our citizens decent jobs at good wages.

And you are fundamental to that future.

I believe we owe our young people opportunities to get on.

And we can’t do that without you.

I believe we need to pay our way in the world and export.

And your role is essential.

And I believe manufacturing and engineering are the wave of the future.

Not simply the pride of our past.

I dare say if I am Prime Minister we won’t always agree.

But you will always have a voice.

We will always listen.

We will always engage in dialogue.

And we will always strive to work together.

Our future depends on it.

Our future depends on you.

And that is why it is such a privilege to talk to you today."

February 26, 2015 (11:41 am)

http://press.labour.org.uk/post/1121274 ... ufacturing

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:14 pm

A mad mathematician on May 8th when he realises that the "clipped weighted moving average" didn't include the Isle of Wight

: dv1453015.jpg (84.75 KiB) Viewed 15343 times

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:18 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote: There isn't much the government can actually *do* here in two months, surely?

I would have thought it is more about presenting any incoming non-Tory government with a fait accompli.

I'd say that was correct. Attempting (and succeeding it seems right now) to drive a wedge between local and national Labour.

It's a pretty huge reorganization which as Roy Lilley points out goes against the whole structure that Lansley put into place.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:24 pm

I see Sparrow has disappeared for the afternoon.

Having chucked a metaphorical hand grenade into the blog with the Jihadi John stuff he's now naffed off leaving the usual rabble to squabble over who is more pro or anti-Muslim.

Not one of his better days.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:28 pm

I think I better take a break from twitter - I just ended up at the Express having googled "Jill Dando" and "Jimmy Savile". I'm turning into a conspiracy theorist.

On a slightly less flaky note - does anyone know exactly how "done" this Manchester NHS devolution deal is and if the government has the power to do this without any need for a parliamentary vote? I'm struggling to understand the political processes that enable this very significant step. Who was informed, who was consulted, who is accountable for the decision and what is their mandate - that kind of thing. It just doesn't seem very democratic, the Chancellor cutting secret deals with local councils behind everyone's backs. Or does this sort of thing happen all the time?

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:33 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
BBC Free Speech ‏@BBCFreeSpeech 1h1 hour ago
#FSreads UKIP #LGBT group chair quits: "I couldn't defend the party anymore". via @pinknews http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/02/26/uk ... -any-more/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
Just amazed UKIP actually has a LGBT group ... and that it took this person so long to reach this conclusion.

I went onto the bloggers4ukip website - go on, look it up - and it amazed me too that such a bunch of backward looking Neanderthals would try to make allowances for anyone who wasn't heterosexual. Well, smack me down wiv a fevver that they turn out to be a bunch of prejudiced twats after all. Who might have guessed.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:34 pm

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_g_e/0_gro ... ippies.jpg

I don't know if TobyLatimer is willing to tidy this up for me (or will it work as it is?) but I wonder which one of this line-up is "Professor Clipped Weighted Moving Average". Step forward please, and take a bow!

(Thanks in advance TobyLatimer - such is my faith in you and my totally justifiable lack of faith in my own technical prowess.)

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:36 pm

Bumboils. Sorry for messing things up.

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:38 pm

Willow904 wrote:I think I better take a break from twitter - I just ended up at the Express having googled "Jill Dando" and "Jimmy Savile". I'm turning into a conspiracy theorist.

On a slightly less flaky note - does anyone know exactly how "done" this Manchester NHS devolution deal is and if the government has the power to do this without any need for a parliamentary vote? I'm struggling to understand the political processes that enable this very significant step. Who was informed, who was consulted, who is accountable for the decision and what is their mandate - that kind of thing. It just doesn't seem very democratic, the Chancellor cutting secret deals with local councils behind everyone's backs. Or does this sort of thing happen all the time?

I'd like an answer to those questions as well. One thing I know is that this Government is truly off the rails.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:42 pm

PorFavor wrote:Bumboils. Sorry for messing things up.

Here you go PorF

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:43 pm

Wonky page syndrome alert

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:50 pm

Willow904 wrote:I think I better take a break from twitter - I just ended up at the Express having googled "Jill Dando" and "Jimmy Savile". I'm turning into a conspiracy theorist.

On a slightly less flaky note - does anyone know exactly how "done" this Manchester NHS devolution deal is and if the government has the power to do this without any need for a parliamentary vote? I'm struggling to understand the political processes that enable this very significant step. Who was informed, who was consulted, who is accountable for the decision and what is their mandate - that kind of thing. It just doesn't seem very democratic, the Chancellor cutting secret deals with local councils behind everyone's backs. Or does this sort of thing happen all the time?

Look at yesterday's thread here - a post had a Hansard exchange between the PM & John Leech, LibDem MP for a Manchester seat.

I wasn't able to locate the Hansard record last night - too tired & it wasn't working out.

http://flythenest.org/viewtopic.php?p=33479#p33479

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:51 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:Wonky page syndrome alert

Thank you!

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:51 pm

There's some interesting reading (IMO!!) in these links, all to do with the #NHS.

Roy Lilley having another go at Monitor and CQC. Says (in a roundabout way) let's go back to where we had Health Authorities! (This was before #devomanc!). 23rd February 2015
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com ... ae52986b44

And here's Monitor's Report:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... report.pdf

And have a look at this graphic from Monitor! (if it comes up too small, then just click on it)

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... raphic.jpg

The comment below is extracted from the response by the Health Foundation:

The deficit for NHS Foundation Trusts has risen to a total of £321m (year to date), according to figures released today by health care regulator Monitor, largely due to an unplanned spend on agency staff of £400m.

http://www.health.org.uk/news-and-event ... q3-report/

In looking through the Health Foundation's site, there was the result of a survey on "the Public's attitudes to the NHS". There's an "interesting" commentary on this page but you can also download the full report (or you can look at some illuminating slides that are used in the report):

http://www.health.org.uk/publications/p ... o-the-nhs/

Fact or Fiction? The Welsh NHS performs poorly compared to the English NHS
http://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/blog/fa ... nglish-nhs

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:55 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:
PorFavor wrote:Bumboils. Sorry for messing things up.
Here you go PorF

[img]my%20edit%20out%20image[/img]

Wonderful! Love the jaunty angle of the hats.
I must be an oldster. I'd genuinely like to wear the uniform daily without anyone batting an eye at the spectacle.

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:55 pm

Next UK solar eclipse: Country will be plunged into darkness next month in biggest blackout since 1999
18:37, 24 February 2015 By Chris Richards

Nearly 90 per cent of the sun's rays will be blocked in parts of Europe – with some of Scotland seeing 94 per cent darkness.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ne ... ry-5223674

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 1:57 pm

PorFavor wrote:Bumboils. Sorry for messing things up.

Not a prob, here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/llwchlq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:04 pm

citizenJA wrote:
Willow904 wrote:I think I better take a break from twitter - I just ended up at the Express having googled "Jill Dando" and "Jimmy Savile". I'm turning into a conspiracy theorist.

On a slightly less flaky note - does anyone know exactly how "done" this Manchester NHS devolution deal is and if the government has the power to do this without any need for a parliamentary vote? I'm struggling to understand the political processes that enable this very significant step. Who was informed, who was consulted, who is accountable for the decision and what is their mandate - that kind of thing. It just doesn't seem very democratic, the Chancellor cutting secret deals with local councils behind everyone's backs. Or does this sort of thing happen all the time?
Look at yesterday's thread here - a post had a Hansard exchange between the PM & John Leech, LibDem MP for a Manchester seat.

I wasn't able to locate the Hansard record last night - too tired & it wasn't working out.

http://flythenest.org/viewtopic.php?p=33479#p33479

For information, John Leech (leech in all senses) is the FibDem MP for Withington, which is a very heavily studenty/ok yah area of south east manchester adjacent to the university. That's how he got in, and that's why that fucker's getting voted out in May. IIRC, not only are there no Tory councillors in Manchester any more, but I think that there aren't any Fibs left either - and back in 2010, they held a considerable number of seats.

That's what Manchester thinks of right wing nutjobs.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:04 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
PorFavor wrote:Bumboils. Sorry for messing things up.
Not a prob, here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/llwchlq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And thank you, too. My money's on it being the "clippie" in the front, second on your left.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:08 pm

citizenJA wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:
PorFavor wrote:Bumboils. Sorry for messing things up.
Here you go PorF

[img]my%20edit%20out%20image[/img]
Wonderful! Love the jaunty angle of the hats.
I must be an oldster. I'd genuinely like to wear the uniform daily without anyone batting an eye at the spectacle.

Hint: get involved with any local 40s/50s re-enactment group. Here in Bury, we have the fabulous East Lancs Railway (think massive steam trains) which runs most weekend of the year, but also does WWII re-enactment in the summer. You could come up and indulge yourself and no-one would blink an eye - plus of course you could meet the contents of chez Remarx and have a beer!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:10 pm

John Leech said [yesterday 24 Feb 2015]...

“I believe that decisions are best made locally, and today’s £6bn health budget announcement is great news, and further proof that this government has delivered to Greater Manchester on extra local powers” John added, “All this is in stark contrast to the last Labour government, who talked warmly about devolving powers, but preferred to keep national control and shut down local services like Withington hospital.”

http://manchestergazette.co.uk/30141/jo ... devolution

Not an endearing person.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:13 pm

Trains, 40s-50s reenactment uniforms & a glass - I'm in!

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:16 pm

citizenJA wrote:
John Leech said [yesterday 24 Feb 2015]...

“I believe that decisions are best made locally, and today’s £6bn health budget announcement is great news, and further proof that this government has delivered to Greater Manchester on extra local powers” John added, “All this is in stark contrast to the last Labour government, who talked warmly about devolving powers, but preferred to keep national control and shut down local services like Withington hospital.”

http://manchestergazette.co.uk/30141/jo ... devolution
Not an endearing person.

I wonder how much notice he was given before PMQs for the "Here you are, this is what you have to say"?

IIRC from the In The Commons programme, MPs find out early on Wednesday that they've been picked so presumably this wasn't what he was planning to ask. Unless it's a case of "If I get picked, then I'll think something up".

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:17 pm

citizenJA wrote:Trains, 40s-50s reenactment uniforms & a glass - I'm in!

Well, given that Ernst and MsRemarx are suckers for that sort of thing and that the WeeBundle would probably enjoy doing the evacuee thing, and that I'm a good mate of the woman who runs the local transport museum, I suspect that's a good call for the day.

PM me and we can sort something out.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:38 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
citizenJA wrote:Trains, 40s-50s reenactment uniforms & a glass - I'm in!
Well, given that Ernst and MsRemarx are suckers for that sort of thing and that the WeeBundle would probably enjoy doing the evacuee thing, and that I'm a good mate of the woman who runs the local transport museum, I suspect that's a good call for the day.

PM me and we can sort something out.

Clipped weighted moving averages - bringing people together.

See? Whatsisname has his good points, after all.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:38 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 13 mins13 minutes ago

A leading academic forecasting model gives Farage just a 2% chance in South Thanet – Betfair punters have it at 60%

http://bit.ly/1Ab492y" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:42 pm

Politico Daily ‏@Politico_Daily 55 mins55 minutes ago

YouGov (regional - North) poll:

Labour 47
Conservative 28
Liberal Democrat 5
UKIP 14
Green 5
SNP/PC 0
BNP 1
Respect 0
Other 0

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:45 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Politico Daily ‏@Politico_Daily 55 mins55 minutes ago

YouGov (regional - North) poll:

Labour 47
Conservative 28
Liberal Democrat 5
UKIP 14
Green 5
SNP/PC 0
BNP 1
Respect 0
Other 0

Phew. Not unexpected, I think. The north has no reason to like the Tories. We've learned that from bitter experience.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:49 pm

PorFavor wrote:
ErnstRemarx wrote:
citizenJA wrote:Trains, 40s-50s reenactment uniforms & a glass - I'm in!
Well, given that Ernst and MsRemarx are suckers for that sort of thing and that the WeeBundle would probably enjoy doing the evacuee thing, and that I'm a good mate of the woman who runs the local transport museum, I suspect that's a good call for the day.

PM me and we can sort something out.
Clipped weighted moving averages - bringing people together.

See? Whatsisname has his good points, after all.

Life is like that.
xx
JA

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:51 pm

A treasure trove of data.
http://www.electionforecast.co.uk/table ... _seat.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wirral West listed as 40% each for Labour and Conservatives.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 2:52 pm

giselle97 wrote:
Willow904 wrote:I think I better take a break from twitter - I just ended up at the Express having googled "Jill Dando" and "Jimmy Savile". I'm turning into a conspiracy theorist.

On a slightly less flaky note - does anyone know exactly how "done" this Manchester NHS devolution deal is and if the government has the power to do this without any need for a parliamentary vote? I'm struggling to understand the political processes that enable this very significant step. Who was informed, who was consulted, who is accountable for the decision and what is their mandate - that kind of thing. It just doesn't seem very democratic, the Chancellor cutting secret deals with local councils behind everyone's backs. Or does this sort of thing happen all the time?
I'd like an answer to those questions as well. One thing I know is that this Government is truly off the rails.

Additional questions:

Why is it the Osbrne & not Hunt making these 'announcements'

What Mayor of Manchester ? IIRC the residents of Manc elected not to have one at the last referendum.

What happens when the money runs out ?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 3:04 pm

pk1 wrote:
giselle97 wrote:
Willow904 wrote:I think I better take a break from twitter - I just ended up at the Express having googled "Jill Dando" and "Jimmy Savile". I'm turning into a conspiracy theorist.

On a slightly less flaky note - does anyone know exactly how "done" this Manchester NHS devolution deal is and if the government has the power to do this without any need for a parliamentary vote? I'm struggling to understand the political processes that enable this very significant step. Who was informed, who was consulted, who is accountable for the decision and what is their mandate - that kind of thing. It just doesn't seem very democratic, the Chancellor cutting secret deals with local councils behind everyone's backs. Or does this sort of thing happen all the time?
I'd like an answer to those questions as well. One thing I know is that this Government is truly off the rails.
Additional questions:

Why is it the Osbrne & not Hunt making these 'announcements'

What Mayor of Manchester ? IIRC the residents of Manc elected not to have one at the last referendum.

What happens when the money runs out ?

Easy peasy. Money runs out. Charging discussed. Health insurance company steps in. Privatisation complete. Kerching!

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 3:09 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:Out of interest, and thinking about that devolved NHS funding to Greater Manchester I took a look at education and if were possibel to do the same.

Gt. Manch has 141 academies - 79 sponsored and 62 converters.

The 79 belong to 38 different sponsors so adding in the converters, there are, besides the 10 LAs, 100 different bodies running schools - those 100 are answerable directly to the DfE. And that doesn't include the Diocesan schools which haven't converted to academy status.

So what happens when Greater Manchester says "Right. We've got health...now for education"?
What was that old film where some London borough declared independence?

Passport to Pimlico – brilliant film! And, in the same vein - but not as good, in comparison - is a book called Highland Fling. Can't remember the author's name but it's buried deep in my library, somewhere...

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 3:20 pm

The full movie - Passport to Pimlico is online " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

: ScreenShot00257.jpg (90.64 KiB) Viewed 15172 times

WelshIan · Post by **WelshIan** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 3:35 pm

StephenDolan wrote:A treasure trove of data.
http://www.electionforecast.co.uk/table ... _seat.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wirral West listed as 40% each for Labour and Conservatives.

A good site, thanks. Interesting to note that it gives the 'house effect' of each polling company, and that YouGov generally overstates Tory support by 2.5%.

The house effects describe systematic differences in support for the various parties that do not reflect sampling variability, but instead appear to reflect the different decisions that pollsters make about how to ask about support for smaller parties, about weighting, and about modelling voter turnout.

http://www.electionforecast.co.uk/graph ... t_plot.svg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The charts are not well organised. Conservatives and Labour should be next to the polling company names so that we can more easily see the house effect on the 2 major parties.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 3:37 pm

giselle97 wrote:Next UK solar eclipse: Country will be plunged into darkness next month in biggest blackout since 1999
18:37, 24 February 2015 By Chris Richards

Nearly 90 per cent of the sun's rays will be blocked in parts of Europe – with some of Scotland seeing 94 per cent darkness.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ne ... ry-5223674

The poor folk plunged into darkness will of course be fully aware that the solar eclipse is all Labour's fault!

mbc1955 · Post by **mbc1955** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 3:49 pm

citizenJA wrote:
John Leech said [yesterday 24 Feb 2015]...

“I believe that decisions are best made locally, and today’s £6bn health budget announcement is great news, and further proof that this government has delivered to Greater Manchester on extra local powers” John added, “All this is in stark contrast to the last Labour government, who talked warmly about devolving powers, but preferred to keep national control and shut down local services like Withington hospital.”

http://manchestergazette.co.uk/30141/jo ... devolution
Not an endearing person.

Sorry to be so late on this but I've been at the launderette, and I've got to go out again. This prannock's ward is the most small c-conservative in the City, and it was the last Conservative seat in Manchester until 1983. I know, because mine was one of the votes that took it for Labour (the only time in my life my General Election vote has counted for a change in party to where I stood). He comes as no surprise.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 3:57 pm

NHS - as a long-time worker in it, trained to the best standards in the world, and as a very grateful patient now, I know what I want.

I want a fully-funded NATIONAL health service, free at the point of use, with big decisions on its' operation made centrally by government.
I do NOT want regional/separate/combined/farted-about-with services that will be different wherever you happen to live and whoever happens to be in local/regional government at the time; I do not want to see a health postcode lottery in the same way we have LA funding grants now.

We need to have nationally agreed standards for medical/nursing/ancillary care and training; nationally co-ordinated commissioning and purchasing; and as well as funding allocated on a needs basis (eg. more in areas where chronic ill-health is an issue) we must also have centres of excellence where patients from anywhere in the UK can go for very specialised treatment.

It is not acceptable to me that one city will be dependent on the central government's block grant for both health and social care, when that grant may well be subject to cuts which will make it impossible for the LA to deliver and there will be no government oversight in the way we understand it now.

This smacks of Lansley - he changed the definition of what the NHS means, he is the reason why the NHS is struggling now. Bastard.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 3:59 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:
giselle97 wrote:Next UK solar eclipse: Country will be plunged into darkness next month in biggest blackout since 1999
18:37, 24 February 2015 By Chris Richards

Nearly 90 per cent of the sun's rays will be blocked in parts of Europe – with some of Scotland seeing 94 per cent darkness.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ne ... ry-5223674
The poor folk plunged into darkness will of course be fully aware that the solar eclipse is all Labour's fault!

Obviously

The last one in 1999 was amazing. I had just come out of the vets with my dog & the silence was all encompassing. Not a bird to be heard & even the wind was holding it's breath.

The memory of it still makes my spine tingle.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 4:17 pm

I've finally found a decent article on the Manchester devolution deal. It's not very reassuring, indeed it makes the whole thing look quite undemocratic:

http://www.tribunemagazine.org/2015/02/ ... -cromwell/

It is seen by Osborne’s opponents in Lancashire as over-stretching Britain’s unwritten constitution for the Exchequer to be re-organising local government. The task was last entrusted by Labour prime minister Harold Wilson to a 1966 royal commission headed by Lord Redcliff-Maud whose report was not enacted until 1974, under the Conservative prime minister Edward Heath.

In other words, Osborne is taking the p**s. I thought the whole thing seemed pretty rum from the start and I'm still trying to get my head around where the Labour councils come into this as they apparently haven't been keeping the Labour party informed. At least that's the impression. It's mostly a centrally imposed diktat cooked up with the help of unelected officials, though:

A recent report by Simon Jenkins of The Guardian revealed that unelected civil servants in London, led by Treasury second permanent secretary John Kingman, joined from Manchester by the unelected Sir Howard Bernstein, outnumbered the two elected politicians, George Osborne and the Labour leader of Manchester, Sir Richard Leese, in the secret ‘devoManc’ negotiations in London.

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Thu 26 Feb, 2015 4:29 pm

ephemerid wrote:NHS - as a long-time worker in it, trained to the best standards in the world, and as a very grateful patient now, I know what I want.

I want a fully-funded NATIONAL health service, free at the point of use, with big decisions on its' operation made centrally by government.
I do NOT want regional/separate/combined/farted-about-with services that will be different wherever you happen to live and whoever happens to be in local/regional government at the time; I do not want to see a health postcode lottery in the same way we have LA funding grants now.

We need to have nationally agreed standards for medical/nursing/ancillary care and training; nationally co-ordinated commissioning and purchasing; and as well as funding allocated on a needs basis (eg. more in areas where chronic ill-health is an issue) we must also have centres of excellence where patients from anywhere in the UK can go for very specialised treatment.

It is not acceptable to me that one city will be dependent on the central government's block grant for both health and social care, when that grant may well be subject to cuts which will make it impossible for the LA to deliver and there will be no government oversight in the way we understand it now.

This smacks of Lansley - he changed the definition of what the NHS means, he is the reason why the NHS is struggling now. Bastard.

I wish I could thank you more than once for this. It sums up my thoughts and concerns precisely.